On Cramps Pt1

While there can be a variety of different reasons and that muscles in the body will go into involuntary cramps, for me, it usually has two main causes.

Neurological Cramps

These cramps usually take place in places where the particular muscles may not be used to moving. In Kinstretch and Functional Range Conditioning as we start to train the outer edges of the ranges of motion for particular joints this will likely be a common occurrence. In these instances, it will usually happen at the end range.

For me, this usually comes into place when I am working on deep knee flexion and my hamstring will light up. I have been trying to work the control aspect of many of the deep knee flexion positions that I may find myself in Jiu Jitsu mainly in someone’s closed guard or in the actual use of the same movement when trying to synch in a triangle or squeezing for an armbar.

Other places where these types of cramps will typically occur could be in the feet, calves, lats, abdomen. These may be the most common, but the idea here is that in this type of neurological cramp the body will usually go into a cramped state in a range of motion that is generally not used. This could also be true for places where you might have been previously been able to move just fine and maybe for some reason have taken a leave from movement.(Covid anyone?)

For these kinds of cramps in any case, the goal is to train the tissues at these end ranges. The cramps over the course of training will eventually lessen as you now have control of the range of motion that once used to go into cramps. This act of teasing the cramp, or getting close but no fully into the cramp begins to acclimate the tissue to the amount of contraction in that end range of motion.

In the FRS, the act of moving into all aspects of a joint’s range of motion can be a helpful way of giving the body a daily dose of movement, continuing to ingrain to the body that the range of motion you access through these exercises are ones you use. As I tell my clients this acts as a save button, uploading the current state of the body to your brain and body.

Check out the Controlled Articular Rotations Morning Routine to give all the main joints of the body their daily dose.

Do you ever get some cramp city going when doing particular movements? Jiujitsu Submissions? Poses? 

Post to comments.

Be sure to check out the Pt2 for a breakdown of one the other big causes that I find cramps tend to happen.